U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the Iran-U.S.-Israel war. The Iranian delegation includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araki.
The new round of talks, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, began on Sunday, as reports emerged that Israel had intensified its attacks in Lebanon, killing dozens on Saturday.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Closes Strait
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, alleging that Israel had violated the ceasefire in Lebanon. The Strait is a critical waterway through which one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed before the war.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that there would be no transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz unless collected by the United States.
Goals of the Talks
Before departing for the talks, Vance told reporters he hoped to make progress on the 'nuclear issue' and 'regarding the Lebanon ceasefire.'
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai said the Iranian delegation would press for the implementation of U.S. commitments outlined in the memorandum of understanding and would 'seek clarity on how the other side will fully fulfill these commitments.'
Mohammad Mohber, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, also warned that Tehran would not accept a paper agreement unless Washington fully implements its commitments.
Regional Diplomatic Efforts
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir also traveled to Switzerland to participate in the talks. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry stated on X, 'Pakistan will continue to support and advance the implementation of the understandings reached between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States.'
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will also join the critical talks in an environment where Israel's attacks in Lebanon threaten to derail the agreement electronically signed on Thursday by Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.
Egypt will host a quadrilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan during the Iran-U.S. talks. The group held its first meeting in Riyad on March 18, followed by meetings in Islamabad on March 29 and in Antalya on April 18, reflecting increased efforts to address crises through regional diplomacy rather than external intervention.
Situation in Lebanon
According to Lebanon's official news agency NNA, an Israeli airstrike on the village of Sohmor in the Western Beqaa Valley killed five people, including a child, a woman, and two elderly individuals. It was also reported that two people of Palestinian origin were killed in Rashidieh in the Sur district of southern Lebanon.
According to a Sunday report by The Times of Israel, a rocket and drone attack targeted a military position in Kfar Tebnit in southern Lebanon, killing one Israeli soldier and wounding 13 soldiers.
